Bittersweet
by Daedulas
Summary: Set 4 years after the events of the game. For 4 years, Hope's crush on Lightning has persevered. He embarks on a trip to see his friends, for Snow and Serah's long awaited wedding. How will he deal with actually being around Lightning again? Spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Bittersweet**

A/N: I'm a fan of Hope/Light, and am disappointed that there aren't more stories about them. I'm going to try to remedy that, in the hopes (pun not intended) that more people will write about them. There are several good Hope/Light fanfics already existing, so go on and read them!

So please read, review, and write your own fanfics too. Also, this takes place **post-game**, so there are **SPOILERS. **Also, my memory is notoriously fuzzy, so apologies if I make some events from the game vague…And I'm going to establish some of what happens post-game (My take, anyway) so please bear with it before I get things rolling.

Additionally, I own nothing.

* * *

Four years had passed since the fall of Cocoon, the mighty utopia in the sky. However, after revealing the intentions of the Fal'cie, many people came to view it as a cage. The residents of Cocoon had seen their world come down…But it didn't crash and burn. They were brought closer to the Earth, and the truth of the matter- that they didn't know about life until they had rubbed their noses up to it.

The people of Cocoon organized a working democracy based on expanding their world into Gran Pulse. The masses were to decide how to tackle their new fate. It was by no means an easy task, but it had to be done. Progress was slow, but it was made. Inch by inch, the people had extended into Gran Pulse. It was no Cocoon, but it was a start. A majority of people lived in the shell of Cocoon, which was now run and supported by the people, and not the "revered" gods of yesteryear. Excursions and settlements were being made to the expansive lands of Gran Pulse.

This period of time was a whirlwind of events; so much had changed in this time. Shortly after the plummet and subsequent salvation of Cocoon, the band of six l'Cie had tried to stay together as best as they could. They did for very shortly, but eventually, life had taken its hold on them. As time progressed, many of the l'Cie had begun to see each other less and less. Fortunately, many of them had settled in the same city, sans Hope.

Sazh and Dajh had moved to Bodum. Sazh decided that the vacation-esque look and feel of Bodum was needed to keep spirits high—and to be honest, he felt that him and Dajh needed a lifelong vacation after what they went through. From time to time, Sazh resumed his work as a pilot, flying supplies or people to Pulse and Cocoon.

Snow and Serah, who were still madly in love as ever, moved into a house together. But they were not married yet. Lightning had approved of the wedding, but convinced the two to wait just a little bit for the world to settle down. They were determined and diligent to do so, but the craziness of adjusting with society to a new life had to come first. However, despite this, they had planned many of the details of their wedding, in between Snow working with NORA to pay bills. NORA was doing well, keeping peace and doing missions for the better of Cocoon's citizens here and there. With the adjusting nature of Cocoon around them, they had managed to set a date and plan a small ceremony. It was to bring the l'Cie back together for the joyous occasion. Intimate, warm, and inviting is what they aimed for.

Lightning dove head first into her work, just like she always had prior to becoming a l'Cie. Her strength and overall soldier qualities made her valuable to keeping the peace in a world that needed protection. She often rose early and came home late at night. This lifestyle meshed well as she lived alone in a comfortably modest apartment. Despite this, she had managed to find time here and there to see her sister, who she had a lot of catching up to do with.

Hope had returned to Palumpolum with his father. Bartholomew was an important asset to the Sanctum, and therein, an important asset to the people of Cocoon. He played an administrative role in the new society; which the center of was Palumpolum, replacing Eden. As a result, he was a very busy man, but one who still managed to be a better father to his son. Hope had reluctantly returned to school in this four year period—reluctantly because he had grown so incredibly close to his l'Cie friends, particularly one of them…

From the onset of his journey, Hope was scared and confused to say the least. He had become a whirlwind of emotion, tugged in between revenge, fear, loneliness, and despair. However, he was able to pull through this, with the help of a young woman. Lightning was his, well, light in the maelstrom of the l'Cie incidence. What had started out as respect for her turned into an enormous crush—the secret of which was kept safe with Vanille, and unfortunately, too safe he thought (referring to her crystallization). Being around Light had always put him at ease, and making her happy had in turn made him happy. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman; on top of this, she was strong, confident, straight forward, and just pleasing to be around. Her presence always brought about a calm within him. When he was with her, time stood still, and she became the center of his thoughts and desires.

During the past four years, as Hope forged ahead through high school, he was afraid his boyhood crush on Light would have subsided…But it didn't. His thoughts always wandered and led to her. He began to be reminded of her in the smallest ways. Daydreams often took him far away to a perfect world where they had all the time in the world together; one where Hope had the guts to admit his true feelings to her. Hope often longed to hold her in his arms…To listen to her harmonic voice…To gaze into her picturesque blue eyes…To interlace his fingers with her… To run his hands along her smooth t—and that is when he would snap out of his daze with cheeks ablaze.

As Hope's senior year in high school came to a close, ready to head off to college the following fall, he was determined to make the most of his summer. To him, that meant seeing his friends in Bodhum more—and more importantly, spending more time around Lightning. He had figured that she wouldn't return his feelings, that he was the boy she always knew, or that he was a sort of student in her mentor-like eyes. Hope had decided that if he couldn't be with her, he would at least come to appreciate her from afar (Translation: Friend Zone'd). To attain her romantically was his dream, but he knew it was just that—a dream. The best he could do was to be in her warmth and bask in her radiance

It was a bittersweet situation he found himself in, but he would focus on the sweet aspect of it. Hope's summer plans had found themselves off to a wonderfully amazing start, for he had an excuse to see his friends in Bodum. Why, you ask? For Snow and Serah's long awaited wedding. Hope, along with everyone else, had been eagerly awaiting it. He would stay for the weekend-three days due to a Cocoon holiday, and make the most of his time there.

Boarding the train from Palumpolum to Bodum, Hope was eager to arrive. For the first time in four years, he would see his friends. His comrades. People he could consider family. On top of this, he would see _her_. His boyhood crush. His protector. His mentor. His so-called 'light' in a dark world. The woman he loved and longed for—Lightning.

He couldn't wait for this train to stop.

* * *

A/N: So there's chapter 1, I don't know how long or where this is going, but I suppose we'll see. Let me know what you think. And next chapter I'll try my hand at some dialogue.


	2. Chapter 2

**Bittersweet** – Chapter II

A/N: Wow. I had checked my email to see many notifications from —they were about how many people had set alerts for updates and all to this story. I've been coming to this site for many years, never writing (Well, I did once, but it was a long time ago and a horrible short little thing, so I immediately took it down a minute after I had posted it) until now. I now see why many people write; its little things that others do that motivate you. With that said, I hope to meet expectations and even surpass them. I hope you all enjoy.

Additionally, I was disappointed with how short the first chapter was (Thank MS Word for making me feel it was longer…) so I'm going to try to churn out longer chapters. Also, I own nothing.

* * *

As Hope saw Bodum growing larger each time he had looked out the window, he started to become very nervous. He was nervous about seeing everyone again. It had been so long. He had hoped that they would recognize and still be able to connect with him. Even more importantly than that, he thought about what he would say to Lightning. There was so much he _wanted_ to say, but couldn't.

"Hey there, Light….Hi Light! Nice to see you again!...Its, been a while, hasn't it?..." mumbled Hope, under his breath. None of these had sounded right…They all seemed juvenile. That was the last thing he wanted to come off as when he saw Lightning for the first time in four years. He stopped trying to figure out what to say when he realized a few passengers were giving him odd looks. He had just hoped that the right words would come to him when the time came.

An attendant's voice came over the intercom system a short while later. "Attention Passengers: We will be arriving at Bodum very shortly. After this, we will depart for…"

Hope looked down at his watch. Almost 1 PM. His friends knew he was coming, but he said that he would meet up with them a little after he had arrived and settled in at his hotel. When the train stopped, Hope took his two suitcases and stepped off the train.

Bodum was different, but in many ways, still the same. It was still a picturesque beach town, alive with color, voices, and people. However, during the fall, the town did sustain some damage. This was evidenced by newer buildings, and some minor cracks in some. Despite this, Bodum still had its soul. The people were still bright and sunny as ever. And apparently, tourists were still lured here. Hope had to dodge, dip, duck, dodge (yet again!), and weave his way around the tourists. After a close to ten minute walk, he had found his hotel, checked in, and dumped his suitcases off in his room. In such a beautiful in lively town, he couldn't stay cooped up in his room all day—he decided to set out to rediscover the seaside town.

It was refreshing that Bodum was almost the same. Some towns had been deserted, as people migrated to be closer to each other, or they moved down to settlements on Pulse. The fall of Cocoon really changed people.

While on the boardwalk, Hope seems to aimlessly wander, just taking in the scenery. Small shops lined the boardwalk, hoping to lure in any suspecting people to buy overpriced trinkets. People ran along the light tan colored sand, while some just laid on it. He even saw many people head into the clear cerulean water. Hope began to feel that he would like to stay much longer than just three days here.

As he wandered, Hope found himself bumping into a tourist.

"Sorry sir, I wasn't paying very much attention…" he began.

"Don't act like this is your first time here, because I know it isn't, kid" replied the man, who had a deep, gruff voice. It wasn't mean. It was rather calm and mature. Then Hope had noticed the dark skin and afro….

"Sazh!"

Sazh shot back a grin. He had looked exactly the same as Hope had remembered him, except now he wore a light blue coat as part of a uniform, probably having to do with him being a pilot, Hope thought.

"You know, I think you've changed just as much as Cocoon has. You've shot up like a tree! And you aren't so scrawny anymore" said Sazh, with a laugh at the end.

"I suppose that's what puberty does to a guy. I'm 5' 8'' now."

"So how've you been? Its been way too long, kid."

"I've been alright I guess…Just graduated high school, attending university in the fall…Most likely Palumpolum University."

"Sounds good…I tell ya what. I'd love to catch up and all, but how about we go take a seat somewhere? I know a great place too."

* * *

Sazh had ended up taking Hope to the café run by LeBreau. He had figured it would be nice to be in a familiar place with hopefully familiar people around. Unfortunately, LeBreau was the only NORA member around, seeing as she had to run he café.

They spent a good thirty minutes going into more depth about their lives. Sazh told Hope about the various flights he made to and from Pulse. He had also mentioned that Dajh was doing well in school, and that their little chocobo was nowhere near little anymore. Hope had talked about his father's work in the government, and how he had done well in school. When this was out of the way, Hope had asked about what he really wanted to know.

"So how's Lightning—"said Hope, with a slight flush on his cheeks…He then immediately added "….And Snow and Serah?"

Sazh grinned to himself, and took a sip of his coffee. He noticed the change of color in Hope's face at the mention of Light's name, and his awkward phrasing and cover-up. He wondered if he should pursue this train of thought with Hope…He figured that he should, but not exactly right now. Hope's eyes revealed everything to him, aside from his comments. They had a depth to them. He was staring at Sazh intently, awaiting any word that would come out of his mouth.

"Um…Well?"

"Oh well, Snow and Serah are doing well. Besides the wedding on Sunday (Today was Friday) they've moved in together a while ago. She's not popping out kids yet though, Light's made sure of that."

Hope smiled, and it eventually turned into a small laugh. "Yeah…That sounds exactly like her."

"Snow's working with NORA mainly. They do security, ya know, basic things. Clearing out some areas near Pulse, just helping to keep the peace. They're actually making out quite well. In all this, him and Serah have planned this wedding."

"Serah's doing well too. I don't know her as well as say Light or Snow, but she's a very happy, optimistic girl. Kinda makes you wonder how her and Light are related" joked Sazh. "She helps out here at the café in her free time, but she does PR for the town, actually. Like advertising too, getting people to come here, helping set up events, the works."

"Wow. Everyone is off doing their own thing. I kinda feel left out. Or maybe I haven't done as much" replied Hope.

"Don't feel that way, we've all got our own agenda in life. Yours is just going to school. In a few years, you'll be working in no time. But yeah, that's about it for everyone" said Sazh. He intentionally didn't mention Lightning, just to see what Hope would do. It was his own test of sorts, just to definitely confirm his beli—

"But you didn't tell me about Light" blurted out Hope, the red tinge reappearing on his cheeks.

Sazh's actual grin mirrored the one he was doing in his head. He had always thought the kid had some kinda crush on Light all that time ago. It made perfect sense to him, those two were close. And he was a teenager raging with hormones. And she just happened to be an attractive older woman who looked out for him. It looks like he was right, and it still held true.

"Oh yeah, forgot about her…" said Sazh, grin reappearing on his face.

"She's still in the Guardian Corps. As you know, they've been the premier branch of the military. No more PSICOM and all, after merging the two branches together. She was reinstated, but is a Lieutenant now. Took Amodar's job when he got promoted. Very busy as usual, and as you know."

"Wow! Really? A promotion? That's really good her! I'm really proud of her!" exclaimed Hope, and probably a little too loudly he realized. Cheeks ablaze yet again, he said "Oh, but is there anything else…?"

"Well she lives by herself now. Serah moved out of the apartment to live in a house with Snow, as I said before…"

"No boyf—I mean, roommate?"

"Living by herself, that usually means no roommate. Ya know kid, you've got a lot of questions about _her_." replied Sazh.

Hope started to feel really embarrassed. He was hoping he wasn't coming off as too inquisitive about Lightning's life.

"How about you just ask her when you see her? I'm sure she'd be happy to fill you in on her life…And she probably wouldn't mind hearing about yours. She's got a soft spot for you, kid."

Hope turned as red as a tomato. He knew it too. But he couldn't help it. Someone else said she had a soft spot…For him of all people! He wanted to shake Sazh back and forth, demanding more information, but Sazh acquiesced before he could.

"Ya know, always looking out for you and all back then. Wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't mind seeing you too."

Hope was a little disappointed that Sazh didn't mean romantically—or did he? But what would it matter? Hope was sure he wouldn't try to pursue her…But now he was feeling conflicted…Maybe it was the right thing to do….

Sazh noticed the conflicted looks on Hope's face. He wanted to just joke around and have fun with him, but he realized that Hope obviously felt very strongly for Light. He rose to leave, as he had to pick Dajh up from school. Before he left, he said to Hope:

"I hear she wonders about you. You being so far away from us, and it having been so long. You should go see her, assuming Serah isn't dragging her about getting ready for that wedding and all. Sure it'd make her happy. You were pretty good at making her smile back then."

Hope eye's met Sazh. He knew they were true, genuine words. Did Hope really cheer her up as he said? He now wondered, trying to think back to when he was 14. He almost didn't hear Sazh.

"You've got their addresses, right? Snow is working his last day before the vacation days for the wedding and honeymoon kick in, but the sisters should be free. Light, I mean, they, really wouldn't mind seeing you. They live pretty close. I'd take you, but I've gotta get Dajh now. I'll see ya soon, Hope."

"Right…Thanks Sazh. Tell Dajh I said hi."

"Will do."

Sazh walked off, and when he was far enough away, he yelled out: "Good luck, kid!"

Hope tried to ask him what for, but he was far enough away where it would look awkward in public. However, Hope got the feeling that Sazh could tell what he had kept to himself for so long (With the exception of Vanille, who also knew of his feelings for the pink-haired soldier). He felt relieved though that at least it was a tight-lipped person who knew of his feelings, as opposed to someone like Snow…

But Hope decided to take Sazh up on his advice. He really did want to see Serah. And he **REALLY** wanted to see Light…

Mind made up and addresses in hand, Hope made his way to the residential district of Bodum. Time to catch up with the Farrons, and most importantly, the one who his desire burned for.

Lightning.

* * *

A/N: There you go. Chapter 2. If you manage to read this, it means I've worked out how to add chapters to stories! Thank you guys for the comments/adding it to your favorites/following this story. Hopefully I can crank out a chapter relatively soon.

Read, review, and write your own Light/Hope stories too!


	3. Chapter 3

**Bittersweet** – Chapter III

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reads/subscribes/etc! It really feels great that this many people want to read what I have to write. Next chapter **may** take some time, going to be fairly busy within the next couple of days. I'm going to make this chapter longer to make up for that.

As always, I own nothing.

* * *

It didn't take long to get to the residential district of Bodum. Many of the houses were relatively close to the beach, as this was a beach town. All in all, it only took Hope about 5 minutes. Despite this, it had felt more like 5 _hours_. To say Hope was nervous was the absolute understatement of the century. He thought the worst he would get was when he left the train, but that was nothing compared to this. Within mere moments, Hope would be at the doorstep of Serah and Snow's house. He assumed Light would be there, helping Serah out with any almost last minute preparations.

Hope was looking for house number 13. Just his luck, he had thought. A quick scan of the houses down the street, and he saw that he was right by 10. The perspiration on Hope's forehead could have been mistaken for a lake. He was the pinnacle of nervousness at this point, for he still did not think of what he would say when he saw Lightning! His heart rate increased dramatically, and yet again, he could feel his face burning up. He stopped to lean on a fence.

"Maybe I shouldn't do this…I could probably dodge everyone until Sunday, it is only another day and a half or so left at this point. It wouldn't be that hard, I would just say I was visiting some distant family here or something" he wondered aloud.

"I'm an absolute wreck. I wonder what they would think of me…Light was pretty observant, she would notice and maybe even figure out why I'd be a sweaty, apprehensive mess!" he had thought.

Hope stared at the ground while he fought with himself in his head. A quick second later, he picked his head up, and released a heavy sigh. He began to walk back towards his hotel. This was too hard. Too stressful. The house numbers he passed soon decreased all the way to 4. Hope felt guilty. This didn't feel _right_. Four years had passed since he fought fate, the Fal'cie, and the world. Was this really the end product?

Suddenly, _her_ words crept into his head. "_It's not a matter of can or can't…There are just some things you have to do."_

When Lightning's words had pierced his mind, his entire body froze. He remembered how she had told him that a long time ago, and another time when he had echoed it back to her. Fear may try to take you over, but you cannot let it. Life's hard, but you've got to forge ahead with your head held high. Chin up, shoulders straight, one foot in front of the other. He had learned all of this from her.

A small smile took over his face, which quickly turned into a large grin. Hope wiped the sweat off his forehead, ran a hand through his hair, and did an about face. He started walking back towards house number 13. The smile never left Hope's face. He was happy. Light may have been miles away for four years, never _physically_ near him. But she never left his mind. She never left him alone. His thoughts and memories of her kept him warm. In his moment of despair, even after all this time, she was still looking out for him. He would have never known that her words would be his strength one day. An epiphany soon took over Hope—he didn't have a major crush on Lightning anymore. He was positive that he was madly, head over heels in love with her.

"Well, that certainly changes things now" Hope said with a chuckle.

Lightning may not have been able to reciprocate crush…But the man was in love now. It wasn't a simple infatuation. This was a deep, tender, passionate affection.

"Maybe…It wouldn't be so bad to at least test the waters…Give tiny hints here and there about my feelings…It's a long shot, but maybe she would feel the same way, or at least warm up to me in that way…" Hope thought.

"Now that I think about it, admiring her from afar is a kind of strange, and stalkerish in a way. New game plan from now on. Up close and personal, without being overbearing. If that makes any sense. Hell, I'll wing it. Here's to hoping I know what to do when opportunities present themselves" he said to himself.

He strode confidently and with a determined air about him. In no time, he was on the doorstep of house 13. It was a moderately sized house—not too big or too small. Definitely had room to house a family inside. To Hope, this was what people envisioned when they thought of the house they would raise a family in, and live together in. Hope felt happy for Snow and Serah, for he knew they would be happy for the rest of their lives.

Hope rang the doorbell. _Riiiiiiiiiiiiinnngg_. While he was mostly over his nervousness about seeing Light (His sweating, heartbeat, and nausea had all dropped to normal levels) he was still apprehensive. After all, he was about to see the person he was in love with. After a few moments, no one had answered the door.

"Oh God…Someone please be home and tell me I didn't freak out in public, on the sidewalk, for nothing," Hope thought.

After an unusually long pause, the door opened. Before him was a beautiful woman with light pink hair. She was a little shorter than him, and had a light skin tone. She had deep blue eyes that were an immediate focal point. Unfortunately for Hope, this wasn't _his _Lightning, but her younger sister, Serah.

Serah answered the door, while on her phone. She was clearly stunned to see a young man on her doorstep, and admittedly, a fairly handsome one.

"Ma'am? Hello? Would you still like to put the order in for Sunday? The caterers will…" said a distant voice from her phone.

Serah snapped out of her short stagger period, and replied "Yes. That is fine. Thank you," and hung up.

"Hope…Is that really you?"

Hope flashed her a smile and said "Its nice to see you again too, Serah."

Serah instinctively took him into a comforting hug. After she released, she apologized for making him wait, and explained that there were still some little things to iron out about her wedding.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I understand it can get pretty stressful getting everything just right" said Hope.

"Thanks for understanding. Have a seat, I'll get us something to drink and we can catch up."

Over the course of an hour or so, Hope and Serah had recollected the past four years to each other. She had congratulated him for graduating high school and heading off to college soon. She also, unsurprisingly, commented on his astounding height and growth. Hope had blushed ever so slightly, while telling her about meeting Sazh, and how happy he was that she was getting married. When they had seemingly run out of things to say about themselves, Hope innocently asked:

"Um…Is Light around? ……….Or Snow, too?"

"Snow is working, but knowing him, he'll probably try to skip out early since he's right on the edge of vacation. My sister is off from the Guardian Corps for a few days…I pretty much forced her to, so she could help me with the wedding and all. Otherwise, she would have only taken time off for Sunday."

"Sounds just like her. Glad to hear she hasn't changed."

Serah noticed a certain look in Hope's eyes as he spoke of her sister. Also, his voice seemed just a tiny little bit off too whenever he said her name. As she was going to think about it, the doorbell had interrupted her train of thought.

"Oh, that must be her!" said Serah, and she took a pause, before saying "Think you could get it? I…have to run to the…restroom for a second", and she smiled innocently.

She wasn't completely certain or positive of Hope's feelings, but knew that he and Lightning were fairly close years ago. She wanted to at least give them a few minutes to themselves and greet each other. "I'm such a kind sister" she thought, as she climbed the stairs to go to the "restroom."

Hope noticed her wording, and couldn't help but think: "Really? Two people in one day are suspicious of my feelings? I wonder how easy I'm making it for them…"

He snapped out of this thought when he realized the doorbell was still ringing and quickly made his way to the door. "Well, its now or never. Here I go," he had thought.

As he was moving to turn the door knob, he found that it moved on its own. As it opened toward him, he heard Lightning step into the home.

"I felt myself age out there, Sera—" said Lightning, before setting her eyes on Hope.

Almost instantaneously, their eyes meet and locked on each other. Hope could only stare in amazement at how beautiful she looked. She didn't seem to change in four years time. If anything, her hair was possibly a half inch longer, and she seemed more toned, but still held that wonderfully feminine figure. He had noticed that she was in her military uniform, only difference now is that she had an extra stripe on her left shoulder. He was awestruck.

Lightning looked over the man she had never seen before standing in Serah's home. Her hand instinctively went to the hilt of her gunblade, but then her eyes met his. Bright, shining green eyes. He was looking right into her own. She then noticed the mess of silvery blonde hair atop his head. The young man was taller than her by about three inches or so. His attire wasn't beach like, must not be from around here, she had thought. His build was lean, with some definitive muscle. It took a second, but the thought struck her… Could this be Hope?

"Hope…Is that you?" said Lightning, as she walked closer to him, hand leaving her gunblade.

Hope was instantaneously relieved when she took her hand off her weapon! What a way to be reunited….He couldn't find the right words to say, but looked right into her eyes and smiled.

"H—" is all he can manage to get out.

In a swift instant, he is embraced by the beautiful young woman.

"It's great to see you again, Hope."

Dumbstruck, he freezes. His heart begins to race. He feels his face, for the umpteenth time, start burning. Hope is instantly reminded of the first time she hugged him with no warning. He was only fourteen….

"_Here….Operation NORA…Didn't work out" said Hope to Lightning, handing her back her knife._

_She takes the knife, and pauses for a second. She then moves far too quickly for him to react—he almost thinks she will move to strike him. However, he is hit in a completely different way than expected. Her arms wrap around him, and he is pulled in tight._

"_Oh…my…"_

"_Hope…Don't worry. You'll be okay. I'll keep you safe." she says._

_He doesn't know what to say. He never expected this to happen to him. He never expected someone else to care about him, much less Light of all people. His voice awkwardly cracks, and he manages to croak something out._

"_Lightning...Me too. I…I mean, I'll try. I'll try to look out for you too."_

_She releases her hug, and looks straight into his eyes. He hears a small laugh, but sees something absolutely beautiful—her smile. Her hand moves up to his forehead to poke it._

Hope snaps out of his flashback, and pulls away from the hug. He knows now what he will do. He moves his hand from her waist and moves to poke her forehead. However, Lightning lives up to her name, and catches his hand. She smiles, and instead pokes him first.

With a laugh, he says "I'm happy to see you too, Light" and smiles.

He then blurted out "I've missed you………all! I've missed you all! Its been far too long, hasn't it?" with an awkward smile.

Hope is thankful that he was able to recover from that linguistic stumble. He is even more thankful that she simply agrees and doesn't question him. An inquisitive look soon overtakes her usually stoic face. He notices her eyes roam over him, and then she moves in a circle around him. Is she checking me out?

"Well, you've certainly grown. Not still a kid, are you?" she says with a smile.

Hope replies "I hope not."

They move upstairs to take seats in the kitchen, and quickly begin reacquainting themselves. He tells her of what he has done, and what his future plans are. She commends him on everything, making his heart swell. Her approval makes him happy.

"Tell me about yourself. What have you been up to, Light?"

It is unusual for someone to ask about herself, and is stunned for the briefest of moments. She quickly recovers and tells him of her work with the Guardian Corps.

Hope interjects "Sazh told me you've been promoted."

"Yes. Amodar was given a promotion, and was told to find a replacement for his position. It's not a bad gig, I just have even more responsibility on me. But things were pretty hectic when I was a sergeant, so this was an easy transition."

"I…I'm really proud of you, Light. You deserved it. I can't think of anyone else who is more suited for the job, and I'm not just saying that."

She is taken back by his words, but flashes him one of her rare smiles.

"Thank you, Hope."

The air is comfortable—not awkward like he had been all afternoon. It is calm, and refreshing. Hearing her voice, seeing her, and being around her. He can't believe he went _four_ years without her. He wonders how he was able to do this for that long.

"Did you just come back from work?" referring to her uniform with his hand.

"No…I've been off for several hours now. I just went straight to different vendors and shops around town for last minute concerns about Serah's wedding. Besides, the uniform usually earns me a little bit more importance when dealing with very stressed out and time oriented people" she said.

With a heavy sigh, she tells Hope "I'm Serah's maid of honor, and she is making me wear a dress…"

Hope lets out excited laughter, so much so that tears almost form in his eyes. When he opens them, he finds Lightning stabbing him with her eyes. He knows that she isn't serious, but that this is her way of saying "Whatever" to something she really can't protest.

"Did I hear my name before?" says Serah, who has now walked into the room.

"Only used in the vilest way, baby sister" says Lightning very dryly.

Hope can't help but smile at their banter. As they talk he glances down at his watch, and then out the windows—he can't believe that it is almost completely dark out! How long had he spent talking to Light? As soon as this thought passed, he inwardly smiled…Time was insignificant when he was with her.

Light and Serah discussed what Light was doing at the several vendors this afternoon. Apparently, Light had delivered the payments and checks to those in charge of the musical entertainment, flowers, church, and ballroom where the reception was to be held.

"For a small wedding, that sure is a lot of stuff" he had said.

"True…Only ones in attendance are us three, Snow, Sazh and Dajh, and NORA. But that doesn't mean everything can't look pretty and perfect" replies Serah with a twinkle in her eyes. Hope noticed that Light closed her eyes and silently shook her head. This prompted a smile out of him, which Serah caught.

"Looks like you're ready to get married. You just have to show up at this point" said Light.

"I know that, but day of, there's my hair to take care of, dress, nails, makeup…And that's just me, don't forget about yourself."

Lightning let out a _nearly_ inaudible grumble.

"Don't think I've ever seen you in a dress…Kinda strange now that I think about it."

"Last time I saw Claire here in a dress was when we were younger, and she looked very cute! Don't worry, you'll see soon enough" said Serah, with a slight emphasis on "cute."

Lightning let out an audible grumble this time, before adding "You know, there are plenty of soldiers who wear their uniforms to social gatherings and events. Makes them look fancy and professional."

"Maybe so, but you're a girl. A pretty one at that. Time to let it show. Isn't that right, Hope?" asked Serah.

Hope instantly felt like he was on fire. To be put on the spot like that, and so suddenly! Damn it, Serah, he thought. Serah noticed the perplexed look on his face. She was testing the waters with him, to see if she could get insight to how he felt about Claire. She had hoped that the confusing look on his face didn't send the message to her sister that he thought she was unattractive or anything.

"Enough," proclaimed Lightning. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and looked slightly away from Hope.

"No…I mean, she's right. You're p-pretty, Light. I'm sure you'll look great. Better than you think" said Hope, with sincerity and in a genuine tone. Lightning was thankful to have an honest person in her life. She knew he was telling the truth.

"Hmmph," replied Lightning.

"To normal people, that translates to thank you. See, sis? Unbiased, outside point of view. You'll be fine!" exclaimed the younger Farron.

Hope was glad that was over. His heart was racing again, and he was sure he'd go into cardiac arrest. Suddenly, his stomach grumbled.

Light smirked, her confidence restored now that the awkwardness of the conversation had run its course. She said "Dinner time?"

"Yeah, I think so. I've got room service back at the hotel, so I'll just make the most of that. I should probably be going now. I'll see you gu-"

"Nonsense. You're a guest, and more importantly, a friend. Have dinner here, wont' you?" asked Serah.

"No, its ok, I don't want to intrude or anything, you guys probably weren't expecting another person at dinner."

"Hope, its fine. Besides, Claire is rarely over for dinner. Both of you can stay. Snow and I have plenty of food here, we pretty much have to with his appetite. He should be home in an hour or so, which is plenty of time to prepare something. So won't you stay? Claire, I'm not asking you, because I know you have no work to do tonight or tomorrow, so you don't have a choice. But Hope here does. So what do you say? I'm sure you and Claire haven't completely all caught up anyway. I mean, we can all catch up some more, right?"

Hope was talked into a corner. Lightning had closed her eyes, and looked somewhat disgruntled as soon as Serah had said she was staying.

"If you really want me to, I can stick around. I don't want to be a burden or anything."

"Of cours—" Serah began, but she was cut off by her sister.

"You're not a burden, and you never were. But anyway, its more of a hassle for you to walk all the way back to your hotel, then wait for room service to bring you something. It makes more sense, and is easier if you eat with us" said Light, very coolly.

Scratching the back of his head, Hope replied "I suppose I could eat with you guys then. You have a good point. I really wouldn't mind anyway."

"Good." Lightning then flashed yet another rare smile, which Serah took note of.

"I've got the food covered, you two. Just set the table for me, and we'll wait for Snow."

"Sounds good" Hope said.

As he went about getting out plates and utensils with Lightning, he couldn't help but think two things. 1. She wants me to stay? 2. Dinner with an engaged couple, and the woman I love…Is this like a one-sided, secret double date?

His damn cheeks started burning again.

* * *

A/N: So there's chapter 3. I believe its about the same length as chapters 1 and 2 put together. Hope you guys enjoy, and let me know what you think. I'll try to work on Chapter 4 ASAP.

As always, read, review, and write.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bittersweet** – Chapter IV

A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback, everyone. I've managed to finish my summer work early (for now) meaning I could turn my attention back to this chapter. However, a 3 day Memorial Day weekend is upon us...I'll see when I get around to an outline/writing the next chapter. Enjoy, and yet again, I don't own anything.

* * *

As Hope and Light went about setting the table in the dining room, and there were a few times where their hands almost met—driving Hope crazy. He was really wishing she didn't notice any of his awkward behaviors, whether it be the stuttering, sweat, or his worst enemy of all, his almost near constant blushing. However, despite this thought, another one had invaded Hope's mind. He _really_ wished that their hands would at least brush up once while setting out the plates and utensils. And a desire even deeper than that was that he could hold her hand, and interweave their fingers…

"Setting the table involves actually putting those on it."

"Huh…?"

Hope looked down and realized he was holding a majority of the forks in his hands, and had stopped halfway to the table. His detested antagonist in life, the mighty blush, returned to conquer his face. Damn daydreams, he had thought. After recovering, they had finished in a comfortable silence. Hope and Light heard a simmering sound come from kitchen, closely followed the by delectable smell of meat.

"Serah's pretty good, so I think you'll like it," said Lightning, taking a seat at the table. She seemed to want to kill time by staying in the dining room, and chatting with him, he thought…

"She learn from you? From what I remember, you did pretty well for someone who had to make due on Pulse of all places."

"Thanks…But yeah, she did, only she somehow took what she learned and took it much further."

Their brief moment was interrupted by a rather loud, husky voice: "I'm HOOOOOOOOOMMMMEEEEE!"

Snow had arrived. Hope saw Lightning shake her head. She then motioned with her finger for him to come closer. "Oh God!" he thought…She motioned for him to come to her! His imagination filled in the gaps, and soon enough, time had slowed down and that was a suggestive motion she had made just for him…"Way to go, Hope," he had thought. He made his way over, and she came close to whisper into his ear. Her lips were so close to his face….

"In case you were wondering, he's still a giant, dumb, gluttonous oaf. That much hasn't changed. Not even a little bit."

Her comment had caught him off guard, and he tried to stifle his laughter. He turned his head towards her and saw a mischievous look in her eye, and a small smirk on her face— obviously as a result of her comment. He then realized his face was directly in front of hers, and oh-so-close for comfort. Thank goodness he was starting to get used to realizing how awkward he could be, for he snapped out of his daze, and moved away from Lighting, outside of her long sought after personal space. It was good timing too, for as soon as he had moved, Snow and Serah made their way from the kitchen to the dining room. What a picture that would've been…One he would've liked to frame and keep forever. "That was a really lame thought…" he said to himself.

"Lookie here! This is a treat! Sis AND the kid!" exclaimed the boisterous Snow. It had been a while since he had last seen his future sister-in-law and an extraordinarily long time since he had seen Hope. He immediately made his way over to gawk at Hope's height—not as tall as him, but in a while, he would be there. He then took his hand and pulled him into a "man hug" as Snow called it.

In a short amount of time, the food was on the table. Snow and Serah sat next to each other, while Hope occupied the seat next to Lightning. The conversation was filled to the brim with laughter and old, inside jokes (Mostly from the men). Hope had recounted the past couple years for Snow; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Thankfully this was the last person he would have to catch up with. Serah and Light popped in occasionally with their own comments or questions.

They all began to talk about the wedding, and it was as if a switch was flipped on in Snow. His eyes got all "romantic-y" and he rested his hand on Serah's. Her eyes started to get all "romantic-y" as well. They both said how happy they were to be getting married to each other, and to be honest, A LOT of marriage mumbo jumbo. Hope felt very out of place. He tried looking down at his now empty plate, for it felt like he was intruding. He glanced over to Light and saw her arms crossed in front of her chest, and her eyes closed, low groan escaping from her mouth.

"Let's save some of this for your own private time…" said an almost as embarrassed Light.

"Alright, alright…But, hey, since we were talking about love and all…What about you, Hope?"

"Uh….Er…What do you mean?"

Snow teasingly grinned. "You have a special little lady in your life? Any cute girls at your school?"

Hope took a long gulp. He was getting nervous again. The perspiration was slowly beginning to leave his pores, but he was determined to _will_ it back in. "Er…"

"You're awfully brash, Snow. But that's to be expected from you," Lightning interjected in a cool tone. Her voice didn't seem to change to reflect inquiry or interest. She seemed to interject for Hope's sake.

"Oh, he is…But you still haven't answered, Hope" said Serah, with a smile and twinkle in her eye.

Damn it, Serah, he thought for the second time again today. "Um…No…I don't…."

"Hey, hey…Don't get embarrassed or anything, kid! I was just teasing. You'll find that special girl one day. Or guy. I don't judge, you know," said Snow with another teasing grin. Hope could only shake his head in disbelief. But he had admitted to himself, that was pretty good.

Lightning picked up her hand and ruffled Hope's hair. "Don't pay attention to him…He's the idiot, remember? You're a good kid. You'll find someone," she had said.

"Thanks, Light…" Hope said, inwardly disappointed that _she_ had called him a kid too. "If only she knew…If only she knew what was going on inside of me…" he had thought to himself. The tone of the conversation had abruptly changed and seemed to come to a halt. Hope looked down at this watch to check the time—a little after ten.

"Hey, its getting late…I should probably get going," Hope had told the others.

"Me too. Dinner's over. Serah, I'll see you tomorrow. Still some things to take care of, right?"

"Yes. Around 10 or so?"

"That's fine."

Snow and Serah led Light and Hope to the door. The two sisters embraced quickly, and then Light had lightly punched Snow on the shoulder. Serah gave Hope a hug, and then Snow took his hand to shake it. They all said their goodbyes, and thanked their guests for dinner. As Hope was reaching for the door knob, Snow yelled out:

"Hey, wait! What're you doing tomorrow, Hope?"

He held his chin for a second. "To be honest, hadn't really thought about it or planned this weekend out, besides Sunday." It was true. His mind was focused solely on the woman beside him.

"Me and the guys are going out tomorrow night! Not a bachelor's party, just a guy's night out. Come on buddy, I know you want in!" he had said with a large grin.

"Sure, I guess."

"Alright! Just be at the café around 10."

"Please, keep him safe," Serah had said.

"No prob, babe! Did you forget that I was a hero?"

"No, Snow, I was talking to Hope. Hope, please keep Snow safe," she had said with a smile.

Hope laughed lightly, and he saw Light trying to contain a smile. "I can play hero now. Don't worry about it, Serah."

Light and Hope then proceeded to step out the door, Serah and Snow again saying goodbye and goodnight. "Well, Light, I guess I'll see—" Hope had tried to say.

"Need a lift? I can take you to your hotel. I've got a velocycle for civilian use…Comes with the rank."

"S-Sure."

They hopped onto Light's bike. Hope was hoping he wouldn't get nervous, yet again. To achieve this, he didn't' hold on to her, content with keeping his hands to himself. It was a surefire plan that worked until a little after she had taken the bike to the skies. Light said "Hold on to me."

Hope had to do a double take. Did he hear the right thing? He pictured her saying those words again, only under a much different context…When he snapped out of it, he had placed his hands on her sides. He scooted a little further back, away from her too. It was definitely awkward, to say the least. However, Light took the velocycle down to the ground after a few seconds of driving. Looking over her shoulder, and reaching to grab his hands, she pulled him _MUCH_ closer, and wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"Safer this way." It was all she had said before taking off again.

Hope was sure that if he let go, he would plummet to his death, and the embarrassment he felt would all be over with. "Its about 100 feet or so…Far too much to survive from this height…" he had mumbled to himself. After settling down and getting over this initial fear and embarrassment, Hope began to enjoy himself. She felt warm. And he could feel a bit of her toned muscle through her clothes….His chest had rested on her back, and he began to wonder if she could feel his heart beating. He was sure it was beating like crazy at one point, but by now, he had calmed down. This felt comfortable. This felt _right._ He reluctantly told her which hotel he was staying at; he would've feigned amnesia or confusion at her inquiry, but he knew she wouldn't have bought it. After riding the sky with Lightning for a while, they had reached his hotel.

"You could've stayed with one of us for the weekend. At least you know now for _next_ time."

Was she already thinking about his next visit to Bodhum, whenever that would be…? A smile found its way to his face at the thought of this.

"Thanks, Light. I'll see you around then."

"Yeah, shortly. By the way…Didn't get a chance to tell you before, but you've really grown into your own person. You've changed, but you're still you at the heart of things. Don't let Snow's words about getting a girlfriend get to you, I could tell how awkward and embarrassed you were."

Hope's cheeks burned, and the sweat starting coming in small drops…She knew him all too well.

"I'm proud of you. And I'm glad you're here." Her tone was unwavering. It spoke multitudes to hear that from her. That's just one of numerous things he liked about her—she was genuine in all that she ever did.

"Thanks, Light…" he said sheepishly.

She flashed him a rare smile—but this time, unlike what she usually did when around others, she didn't try to hide it or hold it back. She let it out, in all of its gorgeous, gorgeous glory…. and said "G'night, Hope."

"G'night, Light."

She nodded her head towards him, then took the velocycle up into the sky. As she raced off, her cape flapped in the wind behind her. It was quite the picturesque scene. He kept looking at her ever shrinking figure in the night sky. He couldn't get her words off his mind. Or that beautiful smile. She's proud of me. She's happy I am here. She even said I had grown! And she didn't hold anything back just then!

She's _stunning_.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 4 is done. Shorter than the last, but I'm comfortable with this length (That's what she said…!)

Please read, review, and write!


	5. Chapter 5

**Bittersweet** – Chapter V

A/N: This chapter was hard to formulate at first, but I'm happy with how it came out. This chapter acts to bridge the gap between the last one and the next (obviously) so it was difficult to set the ground, so to speak. Next chapter is a very significant one—the wedding. And in my head, I was able to plan that one out way before this.

For all the Hope/Light fans out there reading, this one is completely Light/Hope centric. No one else makes an appearance, aside from being mentioned. I felt it was necessary to give them some alone time.

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

Hope woke up in a very good mood on Saturday morning. His last thoughts, prior to falling sleep, were of Light. He replayed her words and actions the previous night, after she had dropped him off at his hotel. He couldn't believe what she had said. He believed that there just _might_ be a chance that she _may_ reciprocate his feelings. It was a long shot, but a shot nonetheless.

After managing to crawl out of bed, Hope went about washing up and getting breakfast. He had no real plans today, except to see what Bodhum had to offer him. He went up and down the entire boardwalk and beach. He took in the sights and sounds of the seaside town. Hope was a little disappointed that he did not plan out anything during the day, except for meeting up with Snow and NORA later that night.

As he explored Bodhum, Hope couldn't help but notice all of the couples enjoying the beautiful day. They were wandering, going wherever their feet would take them, hands never separating, not even for a moment. He was envious. Hope wanted to know what that joy and happiness felt like—to be in love. He wished that he and Light could just stroll about lazily, taking in the town, and succumb to their emotions. He wanted to be in love. As it stood now, he was on the outside, looking in. It definitely hurt to have such slim chances to experience love with the one person he wanted to experience it with the most.

Being lost in thought usually doesn't help one tune in to their surroundings. Or in this case, a vibrating, sound emitting phone in one's pocket. Hope almost missed the call, but in his haste, just opened the phone, not bothering to look at who had called. He had expected his father to do so anyway, but was surprised that it was Light. It was almost 4 PM…He wondered what she wanted.

"Hope?"

"Hey, Light…Its me."

"Good, I'm glad I was able to get a hold of you. Are you free? I need _you_. **Now**," said Light, in an urgent manner. Hope furiously blushed, and his heart started beating rapidly. He didn't bother to stifle any of his physical reactions, for he didn't care that random strangers in public would see him, as long as it wasn't Light herself.

"Um…YES."

"Good. We've got a problem. I'll give you the concise version. Serah and I went out to the different vendors providing for the reception and wedding. Some of her coworkers and other friends had asked about it, when they saw us. They knew it was a small wedding, and she felt guilty about not inviting them, especially since there was so much room available for plenty of people. Long story short, she invited more people. Way more than she realized, I think."

"Does that mean there won't be enough food and all?"

"Well…We learned Snow was out today, also doing last minute preparations for the wedding. And he fell into the same trap as Serah. And he didn't bother to tell us until they had both invited _several _more people. But after running around town, paying _more _money, and essentially giving vendors focuses…We have almost everything ironed out. Almost."

"Almost? Whats that mean, Light?"

"We're good on food. However, the ballroom at the hotel where the reception will be, must be set up. We've got the staff doing all they can, but they aren't equipped for such a last minute change, and they aren't going to pay overtime for their workers tonight. They told us they would finish work in the morning, and that it _should_ be done. I'm not taking that risk, and I don't want to worry Serah."

"What do you mean?"

"I lied to her. I told her I personally spoke to the hotel management, and that they would work through the night. She bought it. And I'm glad she did, she was a wreck. I want her to be calm, and worry free the night before her wedding. That's why I'm calling you. I need your help. I called Sazh earlier—he helped iron out the negotiations with vendors today, but isn't available tonight. I was hoping you were, and am glad you are."

"So what do we need to do?"

"Place cards, centerpieces, and just fine tune the seating. Everything we need is at the ballroom, where I am now. The hotel is the Excelsior Grand. It's about a block from where you're staying. Meet me here ASAP."

"I'm on my way."

Hope flipped his phone shut, and immediately broke off into a sprint. He realized in the middle of his run that he didn't even say goodbye! It wouldn't matter, he'd see Light soon enough, and she needed _him_. Well…his help. Close enough.

After a few minutes, and a few wrong turns, Hope had finally made his way to the extravagant hotel—it was certainly more upscale than the one he was staying at, which he thought was a fairly highly rated hotel. He made his way to the massive ballroom—from the titanic crystal chandelier, to the walls, and even the floor; everything was gold. He wondered exactly _how_ well Snow and Serah were doing from their respective jobs.

Hope spotted Light off to the side of the room. Hotel attendants were running around, unfolding tables, pulling up chairs, and spreading out tablecloths on an innumerable amount of tables.

"Hope!" exclaimed Light, as he jogged over.

"We've got a lot to do in a small amount of time. The staff will only be around for another two hours. As you can see, the tables are just about done. Then they're going to work on setting up a spot for the music tomorrow, then start some prep work on the food. You and I must make the centerpieces. It will be easy, but repetitive. We have vases, candles, and white flowers. Fill the vases with water, put a floatable candle in it, then put a wreath of flowers around the base."

"Who was supposed to do this?"

"Outside vendor. If they had time. And if Serah didn't change it at the last minute…"

"Its ok. We'll work hard and fast. A well-oiled machine. If we could defeat fal'cie after fal'cie, and survive being crystallized, this is a cake walk," said Hope with a defiant grin.

Hope and Light began by running several vases to a sink to fill them with water. And then they embarked on the task of carrying them back to the ballroom without dropping anything. They then pulled up seats to a large table that had the flowers and candles on them. Putting a candle in was simple enough, but the real time consumer was wrapping the flowers into a wreath. It would be a long night.

They worked meticulously. Their work ethic resembled that of the Pulse automated machines they had fought years ago. Every movement was used to be productive, and not an ounce of time or energy was wasted. They worked so feverously that they didn't even notice the staff say they were leaving, and offer good luck. After running through several dozen flowers, their pace had slowed down. The fact that it was repetitive was what killed them. If they got bored, then the centerpieces would look off, and the quality would suffer.

To make the work bearable, Hope had begun talking. He talked about anything that came to mind, anything to keep Light's interest. She was thankful, for she wasn't that great at making random conversation like him.

"Hey, Light…You happy for Serah? We all know you weren't crazy about Snow," Hope asked, while adding the last bit jokingly.

"Yes….She deserves it. I understand it's Snow of all people she's going to marry—but I know he is going to keep her safe and happy. He really does love her," said Light, before taking a pause. "We've been through a lot…And I don't just mean the whole l'Cie thing. At least one of us deserves to be happy."

Hope was shocked. Was she that selfless? It was a good trait, but he felt Lightning deserved her own happiness in life…

"…Do you think that you don't? That you don't deserve to be happy?"

"Her first."

"Light…I don't know _everything_ about you and your past…But I do know that you've been through a lot _too_. Way more than for someone your age. I believe…That you deserve to be happy too," Hope said. It was something that struck a chord with him. He cared so much for Lightning, that he wanted her to enjoy her own life. He wanted her to find joy. If it was with him, great, and if it wasn't…Then at least she would be happy…

A silence followed Hope's comment.

"…I hope so, too."

"Light, I know you will one day. And its been a long time coming. But trust me on this. It **will** happen." He smiled at her, hoping that it would convey how genuine and truthful he was trying to be. Light looked at him, and he could see the smile begging to be released on her face. A comfortable silence accompanied their persistent hands that wrestled with flowers. It was broken by Light.

"Would you like to hear…About my parents?…Before I became 'Lightning'…?"

Hope couldn't believe it. He had always thought that Light had opened up to him before, or on different levels, but here she was, blatantly doing so. He picked up his pile of flowers, and pulled a chair up next to her. He slowly put his hand on her own. He had managed to repress the nervous feelings he usually got around her, and looked into her eyes.

"You don't have to ask. My ears are always open to listen to you."

Hope was met with a small smile. Light then said "…My parents were both loving people. My earliest memory of them was when…"

* * *

Hope had listened intently to her. He almost forgot to work, but had noticed her hands had slipped into a rhythmic pattern of assembly. She recollected her life to him, including the times when she had lost both of her parents. She told him how she felt when her father passed away. She told him about the last conversation she had with sickly mother. In her own way, she poured her heart out to him. Everything. It was as if Light was a book on a high shelf, and someone had finally found a ladder to go up there and get it.

"…And then after that, you became 'Lightning'?"

"Yes."

Hope had appreciated her openness with him. He was probably the only one to hear this extensive history. Her past would be safe with him. However, he couldn't help but feel that the mood of the room had become a little…dreary. He would remedy that soon enough.

"So if Snow and Serah ever have kids…Will you be 'Aunt Lightning'?" he asked jokingly, and with a mischievous grin.

Light just shot him a look. She could scare and intimidate without ever opening her mouth. But she followed up her actions with a small smirk.

"No…Probably not. They could call me Claire."

"It's a pretty name," Hope had blurted out. It was what he had thought, and did not intend on saying. For whatever reason, his body acted faster than this mind. He immediately felt embarrassed, and felt that familiar feeling of his cheeks heating up. And I was doing a flippin' great job 'til now, too, he thought.

An awkward silence filled the room. Their assembly process barely made a sound. Hope had never been in a more embarrassing situation. He had messed up. Badly. Did he make her feel weird, too? It was probably why she didn't say anything. However, Lightning finally broke the silence.

"Hope."

"…Yes?" he stammered out. Please don't kill me, he thought.

"If you would ever want to….I suppose it would be fine with me. If you wanted to call me 'Claire,'" she had said.

"W-w-what?"

"I've known you for a long time. In a way, its funny; but you're probably one of the few people I'm closest with, if not the only one, aside from Serah. I haven't seen you for a few years, but I still feel like I know you. You've matured, but you're the Hope I still know. I'm comfortable with you using my real name."

Hope was dumbstruck. He wanted to pinch himself so badly, just to make sure this was real. He could call her Claire? **HE** was someone she was very close to? Sure, it wasn't a confession of undying love, and her tone didn't seem to change while she said all this, but she had said it. She again had opened up to him. Of all people.

"T-thanks, Light…I mean…Claire," he had said, all while blushing. It was a little strange to call her that. It felt like electricity danced on his tongue while the words left his mouth. "This is going to take a while," he added. She didn't look up from the wreath she was tying together, but he saw her smile.

A few moments later, they had finished all the centerpieces. All that was left to do was to light the candle in each one, but the hotel staff could get to that tomorrow. They slightly adjusted the tables then placed each centerpiece on one. This was a relatively fast process as compared to actually putting them together. Lightning took the place cards, and went around to each table, placing them as she went. She noticed Hope in the corner of her eye, dragging two more chairs to the table she, Hope, Snow, Serah, Sazh, and Dajh were to be sitting at.

"What are you doing?"

"How about two extra seats at our table? …For Vanille and Fang. Would Serah mind?"

She felt bad about forgetting about them. She knew they wouldn't be there, but it was the thought that counts. And besides, when prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in their way…

It was very considerate of him to remember them. Lighting walked over to him, looked into his eyes…And then poked his forehead.

"Good catch," she said with a smirk. "Serah—no, everyone wouldn't mind that."

Hope smiled, then continued dragging the chairs to the table. He then took two extra place cards, and neatly wrote "Vanille" and "Fang" on them, before placing them on the table.

"You were rather close to Vanille, weren't you?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Is she a main reason why you got so embarrassed at Snow's question the other night?"

"You mean, did I…?

"We all thought that it was obvious you had a thing for her."

He had almost collapsed. Did Light really think that? Did they ALL really think that? He knew Sazh knew correctly by now, but still… I must be sending the wrong messages, he thought.

Blushing vehemently, he denied the claim. "We were friends, is all. Platonic. She helped me through a lot, in the beginning. Kind of similar to what you did."

Lightning had a puzzled look on her face.

Seeing this, he continued. "Not playing favorites or anything, but I think I learned more from you, though," he laughed before adding "I'll admit—you scared me at first. But then _you_ grew on me, so I let _you_ follow me and all…You're not so bad _anymore_," he said before smirking triumphantly at her.

He didn't see her hand coming. Either time. One, two. First, a definitively strong smack upside the head. Next, a solid punch to his arm. Both had her force follow through. She didn't mess around! He knew this several years before, but he was reminded why she was in the military.

He looked at her, only to find her smirking triumphantly, right back at him. Pain aside, she is really cute when she does that, he found himself thinking. He wasn't sure though if he wanted to be hit every time he wanted to see a cute look on her face though, as appealing as it was….

By the time they were completely finished with _everything_, it was 2 AM. Hope realized he had completely forgotten about meeting with Snow. Oh well. The wedding was in ten hours. Too late to do anything now. They had contacted the front desk, then made their way outside.

"Thanks, Hope. I really appreciate it. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it."

"Your hotel is close…You don't need a ride, right?" asked Light, referring to her velocycle.

"No, its ok, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lighting turned to go to her parked velocycle, but stopped. She looked over her shoulder, and said "G'night Hope."

"G'night…Claire."

She smiled at him again. I'm getting good at this, he thought.

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A/N: Next chapter is the wedding. I didn't expect this chapter to be longer than the previous, but I guess I went a bit overboard. It should definitely be fun to write—before I had decided to write this story, the wedding is the pivotal scene I had always envisioned in my head first. Lets hope it translates well into words.

Read, review, and I encourage you to try your hand at writing a Hope/Light story.


	6. Chapter 6

**Bittersweet** – Chapter VI

A/N: I'm back with Chapter VI. It took me a while to come up with this chapter, as it was hard to translate my thoughts into words. I desperately tried to prevent as much as possible from getting lost in translation, so to speak. I _thought_ the whole wedding thing would take one chapter, but I've decided to split it into two. Next chapter may be shorter.

Disclaimer: Don't own FF, characters, etc.

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"Claire."

"Claire."

"Claire."

"Claire."

Hope lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling of his hotel room. He had awoken somewhat groggy, having finally fallen asleep sometime after 2 AM. His grogginess soon subsided when he remembered how much closer he had grown to Lightning the previous night. As such, he was practicing saying her name—he knew it would take some time to always do so, but he planned on calling her "Claire" much more often. He smiled at the prospect of it all.

However, repeating the name of the secret love of his life would have to wait. It was 10 AM, with the wedding taking place at noon. He willed himself out of bed, and got ready—Sazh was his ride, and they planned on getting there a little early to find seats.

Sazh picked up Hope from his hotel, Dajh in tow. Both Katzroys wore similar tuxedos, even down to the bowtie. Hope wore one too, but a slightly higher end brand—that's what you get for having your father work in the new Cocoon government. He wore a standard black tux, for he didn't want to bring any attention to himself, when it should be on the happy couple. I'm sure I'll match whatever Light is wearing, he had thought.

Sazh and Hope broke into a small conversation on the drive over to the church. "You excited?" asked the older man.

"Of course. It's been a long time coming. And the reason I'm here this weekend."

Sazh let out a laugh. "Yeah right. Officially, the wedding is why you're here. Your hidden agenda on the other hand is to see your girl."

Hope blushed. Sazh wasn't completely wrong, anyway. "Not now, Sazh. I'll get nervous when I see her."

"Alright, alright…But aren't you at least a little curious about what you think she looks like in a dress?" Hope replied by blushing again. "….Yes."

Sazh ruffled his hair, and said "You'll be fine kid. But hey, you leaving to go back to Palumpolum soon?"

"Yeah…Only planned on staying this weekend. Maybe Monday morning or so, I'd be out of here."

"Not much time then…You better bring out the big guns for her. Unless you plan on sticking around or something."

"…Yeah, I know. I don't know what I'll do about this."

"Play it by ear. I'm sure you'll know what to do when it comes down to things."

Hope was silent the rest of the car ride over. Only Dajh playing with some toys in the backseat was the only sound to break the silence. The trio arrived at the church about thirty minutes early. Plenty of people were starting to file into the pews. Sazh and Hope recognized some faces, only NORA really, but no one else aside from that. They spent a few minutes with NORA, and as was expected, they were very excited for Snow and Serah. Hope walked around the church, looking for his friends. He poke his head around corners and down corridors, and ended up finding Snow sitting quietly on a lone chair. He was dressed in an all white tuxedo, and for the first time to Hope's memory, he wasn't wearing something on his head. And to top it all off, he had a clean shaven face.

"Snow!"

"Oh, hey, Hope!"

"So, hero….You nervous? Big commitment and all," asked Hope.

"No, actually, not at all. Just anxious."

"Anxious? How so?"

"I've already got the love of my life—I'm ready to start it with her now" replied Snow, with that trademark hero grin of his. Hope smiled at this. "Let's get going Hope, its gonna start soon!"

Snow and Hope made their way back to the main part of the church. Almost everyone had taken their seats. Snow took his place up at the altar, while Hope took his seat next to Sazh and Dajh in the front row. The rest of NORA was also to be found here, with LeBreau already looking teary eyed.

"Almost thought ya ran off, Hope" said Sazh as Hope took his seat next to him. "Just remember, you're not he one getting married, no reason to be nervous." Sazh's easygoing nature always had a way of making Hope laugh or cheering him up. He was grateful for this.

With the ceremony about to begin, Hope noticed one other person take their place, standing off to the side of the altar. It was a woman in a strapless, merlot dress that had complemented her hair. It was relatively simple, and ran down to her ankles. He had noticed she wore black heels, and there were two slits on the sides of the dress, that started at shortly below her knees. At the right angle, when she moved, he could see a bit of her creamy legs. The woman had light make-up on, and it didn't cover up her natural beauty. Her strawberry colored hair was up in a bun type arrangement, with two strands of hair running along the sides of her face. She was stunning. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Heavenly. Goddess tier. It was Lightning—no, Claire, he thought to himself.

"Hey, Hope…Pick up your jaw," joked Sazh. "I will admit though, and agree with your face, that she is looking mighty fine if I do say so myself."

Hope had felt his cheeks burning, just looking at Lightning. He had looked down at his shoes to compose himself, then picked his head back up to look at her. Only thing was, she scanned the church, and when her eyes had found him, Hope was dumbstruck. He didn't want to be caught staring at her (And he had hoped she never caught him before), so he played it casual. He raised a hand to wave at her, and sent a smile. Light nodded at him. It was then that he noticed she didn't look happy. This piqued his curiosity—for what reason was this? He continued to look at her, before realizing she was still looking at him, or in his direction. He broke eye contact to awkwardly look around the church, anything to get her gaze off of him.

Soon enough, music started playing, and the doors at the back of the church were opened. Many "oohs" and "aahs" could be heard as Serah made her way down the aisle. She was wearing a long, flowing white dress, that was simplistic in style. An ornate dress wasn't necessary, for Hope thought she also had looked beautiful, though he had preferred Lightning. It was easy to see though that beauty ran very strongly through the Farron bloodline.

Serah had made her way to the altar, and stood across from Snow. They both had smiles plastered across their faces. "We are gathered here today…" began the priest, but he couldn't hear him, even in the front row. Hope found himself lost in thought. "Would I ever be up there, someday? Alongside Claire…" he said in his head. He eyes gravitated towards the beauty in the wine colored dress. He was lucky Serah and Snow were up at the altar, for it gave him a reason to stare up front at Lightning. He wanted to get up from his seat, and just be near her. He wanted to do it so _badly_. Would he be the one to make her happy? Could he?

Hope started doubting himself. "I know I've changed, and she has acknowledged it too…But I don't know how she views me. For all I know, she might think of me as her little brother or something, or _just_ a friend…"

Sazh ended up lightly punching Hope on the shoulder. "Hope, snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

Snow and Serah were already kissing each other at the altar, and all of the guests went crazy. Even Lightning was smiling, well, as much as she was willing to show in public. Hope ended up hollering and clapping much like almost everyone else in attendance.

Everyone had made their way outside, trailing Snow and Serah **Villiers**. The trio had waved as Snow and Serah made their way to the hotel ballroom for the reception in their own limo. Hope, Sazh, and Dajh weaved their way through the crowd of people to make it to their car, and hopefully ahead of everyone else also headed to the hotel.

They immediately set off, at least they did, until traffic hit. Sazh took the time to address Hope's thoughts.

"So, whatcha gonna say to her, kid?"

"I don't know… There's so much I want to say. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life? No one else holds a candle to you? You send ripples and waves through me all the time? I think about you constantly? When I'm with you, time slows down… I like who she is, everything about her…I'm in love with her. I want nothing other than to be her everything, and for me to be hers…."

"Wow, kid…" was all Sazh could say.

"…Listen to yourself. It's the best thing you could ever do. I think you'll do the right thing."

"Thanks, Sazh."

After sitting through a small amount of traffic, and taking shortcuts, they had arrived at the Excelsior Grand. Hope led the Katzroys to the table, for after all, he had helped to set up the room. They found that of course Snow and Serah were already there, but so was Lightning. Hope's stomach turned upside down. She looked so beautiful there….

Sazh purposefully sat away from Hope and Lightning. Serah was on Light's left, and Hope sat on her right. However, on Hope's right were the two empty seats reserved for Vanille and Fang.

"Oh, Vanille and Fang, eh? Good idea…But I don't wanna sit on em. Scoot down, Dajh," said Sazh as he grinned with his back to Hope and Lightning.

"Hey, Light." He wanted to call her Claire, but wanted to make sure it was something only she would hear.

"Hope," replied Lightning, with a nod.

"Hey, are you alright? Happy with everything?"

"Yes. Of course, I am. Serah is beaming, and Snow is too. They look truly happy. And the centerpieces look great too," she said, with a small smile to Hope.

Snow and Serah had their first dance as a married couple. The lights dimmed, and the remaining lights followed them. It looked like magic. They radiated nothing but good vibes, and almost everyone seemed to thrive on it. With the exception of one older sister, Hope had noticed. However, the newlyweds took a seat, and then made a toast to their friends, new family, and the future in store for them together.

Hope wondered what was wrong with Lightning. She was happy, but there seemed to be something holding her back. As they ate, Hope quietly asked "Light…You seem…off. You sure you're fine?"

She took a minute to swallow her food, then paused. After a moment, she said "It doesn't feel right."

"What?"

"Hair…Dress…Shoes…Not for me. I feel dumb." mumbled Light. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

With her not being able to notice him, Hope took the time to study her. Was she really that upset over her appearance? It seemed like it was part of the problem, but not the entire problem. However, he did use the time to appreciate her—from her creamy, smooth skin to her exposed, bare back and shoulders. He also noticed how pink her lips were, and how soft and moist they appeared to be. He wanted to reach over and kiss her. Badly. It all drove him _crazy_.

"_Hope! Say something back! Don't just sit there!"_ said someone in an urgent, yet reminiscent, cheery voice…

"_Don't leave her hanging, kid!"_said someone else in a deeper feminine voice, but with a stronger accent.

Hope thought maybe there was something in the food. Did he really just hear _those_ voices? He mumbled "Vanille…? Fang…?"

"_Yes. It IS us! But get back to Light!"_ urged Vanille.

Hope was confused. But whether these voices be hallucinations or not, they were right. He came to his senses. "Hey, Light."

"Hm," she said, before opening her eyes and looking up.

"I…I think you look _amazing_. You really are elegant and beautiful; stunning. I…I just thought you should know that….If it makes you feel a little bit better about it all. You don't look bad or anything, if that's what you're thinking."

Hope had looked up, for he was too nervous to look into her gorgeous eyes and to say all of this. He had seen that she was looking at him the entire time.

"…Thanks."

Hope blushed, but smiled at her. She had tried to keep a straight face, but saw that the smile she tried to hold in was doing a great job of escaping.

"_Great job, kiddo!"_said the cheery voice.

"Is that really you? What're you guys doing here? Where are you?" Hope whispered quietly, only loud enough for himself to hear.

"_We're not completely here…It's the best we can do for now..But we wanted to see the wedding! Everyone looks great! Serah is so pretty!"_

"_You clean up well too, kid. And you look a lot like a man now…"_ said Fang, with a bit of a suggestive tone.

"Hey, Hope! C'mere for a bit!" Hope made his way over to Sazh, who pulled Hope down to whisper to him. "Kid, stop talking to yourself! I know you're nervous, but pull it together!" Serah had started talking to her sister as this side conversation occurred.

"Vanille and Fang are here! They're talking to me!"

"_We ARE here, Sazh. Right, Vanille?"_

"_Yup!"_

"Vanille and Fang…?" Sazh smiled. They really did it. They came back for now. It was refreshing to hear their voices flood into his ears. For the first time in years, they were all together again.

"_Hope here needs a bit of help…We/re here to get him to man up!"_ exclaimed Fang.

"Sorry Hope…Thought you were losing your cool. Well, get back in there!" Sazh said, while slapping Hope on the back. As Hope returned to his seat, he heard Vanille and Fang fill his head with their words, and he smiled. "You should pay our soldier and newlyweds a visit…Don't think they'd mind," said Sazh with a grin.

When Hope took his seat, he noticed a tall, dark haired, young man make his way over to the table. Specifically, to Lightning. Hope could smell alcohol on him, and the massive amount of gel in his hair.

"Hey…You must be Serah's sister. I'm Deryk. You look _fiiiiiine_. Why haven't I met you before? Anyway, I'd _love_ to danc—"

"Scram. _Now._" That was all it took from Lightning, along with a sub-zero, icy glare. Hope was surprised when the ordeal began, and relieved when it was over.

"I don't dance," is all she had said to him. Well, at least she must now believe me that she looks great, if she even had a sliver of doubt, Hope thought.

Within the next fifteen minutes, more friends of Snow and Serah's had come up to Lightning. They would've apologized for the young men's behavior, if they were around—they were busy tearing up the dance floor. However, Lightning ended up scaring all of the men off, alcoholic bravery be damned. Even though none of them were successful, Hope found himself getting angry. How dare they ask her to dance. She was his! Well, secretly and to himself, she was his, he had corrected himself.

"This was going well, until those idiots came over" said Lightning with a huff. She had crossed her arms in front of her chest again, and closed her eyes.

"_Go in for the kill, Hope!"_ said Fang.

"_Ask her to daaaannncceee!"_ yelled an excited Vanille.

Hope wanted to take them up on their advice. It was a long shot, to say the least. But he had to take the chance. After all, there are some things you just do. He grinned to himself, then rose from his seat. The movement had caught Lightning's attention, but she didn't show it.

"Light…Would you like to dance?" asked Hope, extending his hand to her with a wide smile.

Lightning's eyes flew open. She tilted her face up to look at him, confused and surprised, to say the least. Her face clearly did the talking, but she added "…WHAT?"

"Would you like to dance with me is what I had asked" said Hope with another smile.

"_Y_….No thanks, Hope. I don't dance." Hope was almost certain that "yes" was on the tip of her tongue at first. The music and talking people is what prevented him from catching it.

"Don't dance? Or don't know how to dance?" he said with a teasing grin.

He was met with silence. He looked into her eyes, then said "I know how. You'll be fine, just follow my lead, ok? C'mon, Light…You may even have some fun."

"This really isn't me…You know that."

"You can't be happy, if you aren't willing to try to be happy." He didn't even have time to think those words, they just flew right out of his mouth. Hope noticed his words sinking into Lightning's head.

"Just once. And if you still say no…Well, you owe me one, right? For the centerpieces…Don't tell me you've forgotten already," Hope said with a smirk.

She looked up at him, and took his extended hand. "…Once. And that's it. And after this, we _are_ even."

Hope's face was all triumphant. His smile couldn't be contained. He looked across the table to Sazh and Dajh, and they both were smiling too, and giving him a thumbs up.

"_YEEEEAHHH! GO HOPE!"_

"_GIVE HER A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, KID!"_

Hope felt happy because of their words. He led Lightning to the dance floor, as the previous song ended. He saw the envious looks other guys, including the rejected ones, were shooting at him. Snow and Serah took a moment from looking into each other's eyes to look in disbelief at Hope taking Lightning by the hand. Lightning started feeling embarrassed. Her head was down, and her eyes just followed Hope's feet as she was led along.

Hope was a little nervous, but Lightning had to be worse off than him, for she was _completely_ out of her element.

"I hope I remember how to do this…" Hope thought.

A slow song had started to play.

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A/N: There we go. For the most part, I'm very happy with how this chapter turned out. I was going to include the dance part in this chapter, but I enjoy leading you guys along :^P

I'll see when I can get the next part rolled out. Work is starting up for me soon….

Read, review, and consider also writing a Hope/Light fic.


	7. Chapter 7

**Bittersweet** - Chapter VII

A/N: This is most likely the final chapter of this story. Its taken a while because I wasn't sure if I wanted to end this happily or not (Aside from being very busy…This coming week is hell for me)—you'll have to keep reading to find out what I ultimately did. It was fun to write, and it was great to see this story get hits/notifications/reviews/praise/jelly beans/etc. I use song lyrics in this chapter, and no, I didn't write them. The song is **"So Close"** by **Jon McLaughlin**. It is a great song, and I highly recommend you listen to it. Anyway, thanks to everyone for reading. Enjoy.

Oh and I heard has some sort of disclaimer, meaning I don't have to say I don't own FF or whatnot. Good to know when I begin working on new Hope/Light fics….

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They made their way to the dance floor. To say Lightning was awkward was the understatement of the year. It was like saying that Cocoon was going to be exactly like how it was before the fall. She wanted to desperately get back to her seat at the table. It was the first time that she was "on display" in any sort of manner before. She had never danced before, let alone in front of so many people. The only consolation was that other pairs were dancing too. Well, there was one more thing that made her feel better, but she wouldn't admit it—that of all people to be stuck with, she didn't mind at all that it was _Hope_.

Hope turned around to face her, took her left hand, intertwining his fingers with her own, and then placed his other hand on her hip. It felt way too good to hold her like this. Though to be honest, she was still too far away from him for his liking. Light still had a sour face on. He noticed this and really wondered how much she would hate this—or worse, him, for asking her to dance. She'll have to get over it at some point, he thought. But that didn't mean he was going to throw her to the wolves. He recollected her story, the one about her parents and her past. Forcing yourself to grow up certainly didn't leave room for dancing with other people, or other youthful acts. He was going to help her along, and let her experience that which she had missed.

"Hey…Chin up, alright? You're in good hands, ok?" said Hope, while giving her the most reassuring smile he could. The music began to play.

_You__'__re in my arms  
And all the world is calm  
The music playing on for only two  
So close together  
And when I__'__m with you  
So close to feeling alive_

Hope began to lead her along. She had tried her best to follow his movements, the slight markers of which way he was going. But it was hard. Her movements were so awkward, and in a way, so mechanical. It was if she lacked any sort of fluidity at all!

"Claire." He was sure to say her name, for it was just the two of them together now. "I can see you're a woman, and I know you've got more grace than this."

Lightning shot him a look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Its been a while since I've seen you fight, but you always had grace on the battlefield. Your movements and actions were so smooth compared to right now. Loosen up. Relax. _Trust me_."

His words had quickly sunk into her head. He was right, after all. She had slain the mightiest of beasts and foulest creatures to ever walk on Gran Pulse. Hell, she had helped to take down numerous Fal'Cie. Yet here she was, intimidated by a _dance_. Deep down though, one thing had intimidated her more so than the act of dancing. It was the fact that _he_ had asked her to dance. It was the fact that _he_ was right there with her. However, she brushed the thought away. She took his words to heart, and let go. She would go where he would lead, and if she messed up or took a fall, she knew that _he_ was there to catch her if she did. It was a comforting thought.

Her movements soon became natural. Gone were the mechanical, blocky transitions, and in was the graceful Light he knew. She had really set into the rhythm of things, and she came off as a natural.

"Good…Now you're getting it. Hey, try this—"said Hope, before spinning her. He couldn't stop smiling, for she had pulled it off. He also noticed that she was fighting to contain a smile on her own lips.

_A life goes by  
Romantic dreams will stop  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
And now forever I know  
All that I wanted to hold you  
So close_

She was doing great. They moved together, as one. Things soon lapsed into a comfortable state and cadence.

"Well?"

"…Not as bad…" she had mumbled quietly.

A grin took over his lips, as he knew she was enjoying herself. He began to think that maybe this is why she seemed off or uncomfortable during the evening. Was it because she had seen Snow and Serah happy together? Was she afraid she wouldn't find her own happiness? It had to be, he had thought.

As the song played, and as they swayed, their eyes met each other. His green eyes stared deeply into her azure ones. They're beautiful. They complimented her, he thought. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, being able to spend this moment with her. It soon became apparent that they were both staring into each other's eyes. Normally, this would be awkward if it were longer than maybe five or ten seconds. However, neither seemed to care. Neither seemed to want to stop. They continued their long gaze.

Hope couldn't stop thinking about her. How wonderful she was as a person, how she was desirable in every way. He wanted to love her. He wanted her to love him. He knew her well—everything she liked and didn't like. She was his support in his time of need, and he tried to be hers as well. She was _everything_ to him. Hope found himself pulling her a little closer to him. As he looked into her eyes, he saw the briefest flash of alarm. He would have grown concerned, but that brief flash left as quickly as it came, and her eyes continued to convey that sense of familiarity with him.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this was not pretend  
And now you__'__re beside me and look how far we__'__ve come  
So far we are so close_

The weight of the song lyrics had hit him. This was _perfect_. Too perfect. It had fit them to the tee.

"_This one's for you, Hope"_ he heard Vanille say in his head. _"Don't miss this chance!"_ Fang added.

Through this, their eyes still never parted. He could have sworn he felt her squeeze his hand. Whether or not she did, he squeezed hers back. Her eyes told him everything—it was fine with her.

_How could I face the faceless days  
If I should lose you now?  
We__'__re so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
And almost believing this was not pretend  
Let__'__s go on dreaming for we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far_

He again caught the words. He became anxious, and unfortunately, his eyes showed it. Lightning was quick to catch on, and asked "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing usually means something."

He didn't have anything to say to her. He didn't know _what_ to say to her. Despite this, they never stopped dancing, and their eyes continued to meet each other.

"Loosen up, Hope. Relax. Trust me." They both smiled. He liked how they both used each other's respective words against one another. He took that as a cue that it was now or never. After all, he did trust her. He was going to trust that he could speak freely. He was going to trust in his heart. And his heart told him now was the time.

"Claire, I…want you to be happy. You deserve it. You're an amazing person that I've had the pleasure of knowing—better than anyone else I've ever met before. I want to be happy _with_ you. I want to make _you_ happy."

She was floored. What was he saying? What was he trying to say?

"Hope…"

"Back then, I had the biggest crush on you, you know? I thought it was all a stage—something I would get over or grow out of. But I never did. When we stopped seeing each other, you never left my mind. I honestly started hurting at the thought of not being around you. But my thoughts and memories of you…And the hopes that I would see you again soon someday, helped me through. Claire, my crush…It never stopped. It grew…To something more. I tried putting it aside, but this weekend showed me that I couldn't. I'm in love with you, Claire."

She knew this was real, that it was _passionate_. He never broke eye contact with her the entire time, and they showed that he was telling the truth. Every word came directly from his core. They were genuine, loving, and heartfelt.

Suddenly, she heard a barrage of clapping. She realized his hands had at some point found their way to her hips, and her arms were around his neck, holding him in the semblance of an embrace…They were _so close_, and their faces VERY close—their noses almost touching. His lips happened to be very close to hers as well…When did this happen? Lightning thought.

Lightning let go of Hope, and looked around. At some point, everyone stood aside and they were the only ones on the dance floor, continuing to dance long after the song had ended. They had looked at each other, and then at the applauding guests. They reluctantly bowed.

"Lets go," said Lightning.

"Uh…Yeah…"

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They both made their way off the dance floor, but with Lightning leading the way, Hope following in her stead. It reminded him of when he was fourteen, and tagging along after her. They soon made it back to the table, where Snow, Serah, Sazh, and Dajh awaited them, smiles on their faces. The smiles soon left their faces when Lightning quietly said "Gonna get some air." She then quickly left, and walked through a door leading to a balcony.

Serah noticed something wasn't right. Her sister had genuinely looked happy when she was dancing with Hope, and yet, in the briefest of moments, she pulled a 180. She was in her "normal" soldier-like mood. Her tone conveyed that she was all business, with the stoic face to match. "Snow…I'm going to check up on her…" said Serah, before leaving to follow her older sister.

Hope looked detached and defeated. Did his confession go horribly wrong? Was he wrong after all about the timing, and perceiving her emotions? He entered a damper mood.

"Something up, Hope?" asked Snow.

"Guess you could say that…"

"Kid, what happened? You both looked great out there. Did…You tell her?" asked a concerned Sazh.

Hope nodded, choosing to remain silent.

Snow liked to think that no one gave him enough credit. Yes, he could appear goofy and laid back—yet many people, primarily his sister-in-law, thought that meant he was stupid and dumb. It was something he would have to change and convince her of otherwise…But that was a different matter for a different time, he thought. He could see Hope was no longer radiating joy, like he was when he was with Lighting—essentially up until the end of their dance. He also saw how quick Lightning left the table, and how she had put her walls back up, so to speak. Also, Sazh's question essentially confirmed it for him. The kid was crazy in love, and Light was, well, Light.

"Hope…Could be going out on a limb here…You have a thing for Light?"

"Heh…Guess you could say that…" replied Hope, before telling Snow what just occurred. He rubbed his chin, and said "Well…It's not like she said she **doesn't** like you, right? Not gonna lie, but she is one hard person to read. Just give her some space. Maybe Serah will talk some sense into her."

Hope found that to be much easier said than done.

"_Hope! Hang in there…"_ yelled Vanille into his head.

"_It's not over!"_ Fang followed with. Her tone made it sound like they were in the middle of a battle again…

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**

Lightning was pacing on the balcony. What had just happened ran coursing through her head. She leant upon the ledge of the balcony, looking out over the view of the city. Did that really happen? Of course it did. What am I feeling? What happens now…? These thoughts also ran through her head. She almost didn't hear the foot steps behind her. She hoped it wasn't in fact, Hope. She was relieved when it was just her sister.

"Claire…"

Lightning replied with silence, almost ignoring her sister.

"You say a lot by not saying anything." Serah knew her sister far too well.

"I'm guessing he said something to you, then…"

"Long story short, he said he was in love with me…"

"So why are you acting like it's a bad thing?" Serah asked.

"I…don't know."

"Exactly," Serah replied in an as-a-matter-of-fact manner.

"You don't know, because it's **NOT** a bad thing. I've seen how you two have acted the past couple of days, and I know about your history those years ago…You sound close. You seem close. Whether you know it or not, he makes you smile. A lot. No one has ever done that for you. In your own way, you seem different when he is around. Look, I'm not telling you to fall in love with him too. What I am saying is that you've got to decide how you feel about him. Only you know that—and only you alone will know, so don't ask me. Everyone is different. Claire, you can't leave things like this. You've got to fix it, one way or another. He deserves some kind of closure."

And with that, Serah gave her sister a comforting hug before leaving the balcony. Lightning stayed on the balcony. She looked at the situation each and every way she possibly could. Would this work out? How would it work out? She was older than him. But he was older too. Then there was distance. These types of queries plagued her. But then she thought about Hope. How he had changed. How he had matured. How he had grown. How he had made her _feel_. It was then that she had found a comfortable peace of mind. Ironic that the one to get her worked up, ended up being the one to calm her down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. In a moment, she knew. She had made up her mind.

**

* * *

**

Lightning walked back into the ballroom, making her way back to the table. Everyone looked at her as she approached—except one person. Hope was missing.

"Where is—" she asked, before being cut off by Sazh.

"He, uh, went back to his hotel. Said he was leaving early tomorrow morning. Said it was nice seeing everyone, and that he would have to come by again sometime."

Lightning could tell that Sazh was trying to make it as unawkward as possible. She appreciated it, for things had certainly changed for the worse…

"_Light…" _said what sounded like Vanille. "_Let him down easy…I feel like we're to blame, prodding him too…I really thought we were helping…"_ said what had sounded like Fang.

Lightning was confused enough by the situation with Hope, but was she now hearing the voices of Vanille and Fang?

"_Yes, you are hearing correctly, it is us…Wonder how many times we've had to explain this so far…But we wanted to see the wedding!"_ said the cheery Vanille.

"_And to help Hope…But now, just end it painlessly, okay?" _added Fang.

Lightning accepted that the quick explanations—she would question them later. Right now, she needed to see Hope. She remembered which hotel Hope was staying at, and luckily it wasn't too far from the one where the reception was at. She quickly made her way to it, and then pestered the clerk at the front desk. She spent at least ten minutes trying to order the clerk around, and it took her to show her military I.D. and rank to get the information she needed. She could arm bar anyone into submission, but the clerk figured it was harmless to let a beautiful woman find a young man anyway.

Lightning quickly bounded over to Hope's room. She needed to talk to him. She knocked on his door. No response. She knocked again. No response. She knocked yet again. No response.

"Hope…Hope!...Hope!" she yelled through the door. No response. Was he really there? What if he went out on a drinking binge to drown his sorrows? No, that didn't sound like him, she thought. Was he avoiding her? After ten minutes, his door still didn't open. She pounded her fist on the door in anger…She had messed up. And it looked like she couldn't fix this.

"Hope…Please…" she said in a low voice. Suddenly, she heard movement on the other side of the door, and it soon opened. She straightened herself up, and composed herself. Hope had opened the door, still in his tux, minus the suit jacket. He forced a smile upon his face, it was obviously fake. She also noticed that his eyes didn't meet hers, instead choosing to be transfixed on something behind her, or on her side—case in point, anywhere but directly at her.

"Oh, hey, Light…Didn't hear you…" said Hope. She noticed his voice had lost its confidence. She noticed he had chosen to call her _Light_.

"Got a bit tired at the reception…Figured I should get some shut eye, since my train departs very early tomorrow morning. It was really nice to see you this weekend. I really enjoyed it. I'll have to come again sometime, but with school starting up in the fall for me, it probably won't happen very much, but I'll try I suppose—"

"Shut up." It wasn't a request, it wasn't nice, and it wasn't warm. It was an order. To say Hope was shocked was an understatement.

"Hope, I can tell. I can tell you're hurt. You probably weren't expecting things to happen like this. I'm sorry for that."

"Light," he interrupted, again choosing to use her adopted moniker. "Its okay, really it is…It was pretty dumb of me to say something like that, maybe a little too much wine or something. I don't want it to ruin our friendship, so let's just forget about it all together, ok?" He followed it up with yet another sad, forced smile. She could tell he was in pain. She could understand too—he was telling the person he loved that he would push away and forget all his feelings. That he would essentially shrivel up and die on the inside. All for her.

"Hope…I reacted the way I did, because I didn't know what to do. I've never done this before, I was never close to anyone except Serah. But you changed that, you changed me—and for that I'm grateful, I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Light, it is okay…It really is."

"Let me finish. When I was on the balcony, when I had left, I thought about what you said. I was confused—you had dropped a bomb on me. I wanted to tell you that I don't love you. That I can't love you. That you're still just a kid to me, just a friend."

Hope's eyes told her everything. He had accepted this fate. However, she wasn't done.

"I'm a big mess. A big, dysfunctional mess. I wanted to tell you that you would be wasting your time on me. I wanted to tell you to move on, to find someone who would appreciate you and love you. I wanted to tell you I'm just a dead end."

"Light, don't put yourself down…"

"Listen to me. It's true. All those things are true about me. I haven't known happiness or warmth in so long. I've always put Serah in front of me. I've never known love or affection like this. Do you still mean what you said? What you said to me while we danced?"

"…Yes."

"Then it's settled. I want…To be happy with you."

Hope's eyes bulged. His jaw hung open. Was he hearing right…? Did she just say that? Was she…accepting him?

"I wanted to tell you to move on. I wanted to tell you you're still a kid and only a friend. I wanted to tell you to find someone else. At least, I thought I wanted to say those things. I thought I wanted to _believe_ those things. But I don't. It's not what I **truly** feel. Yes, I'm a mess. Yes, I'm dysfunctional. And yes, there are some things we'll have to work out, as far as distance and all…But…I want you, Hope. I want you in my life. Am I selfish? Do I deserve you? I can't say…But I can honestly say I'm not better off without you. It would bother me…If you weren't by my side."

"Light, I…"

"I know you love me. This is all new to me—I can't say that I love you. At least not right _now_. Everything is still a whirlwind, and a little confusing. But you're the only part that seems to make sense. But I'll figure it out soon enough. And I will tell you, once I do."

She paused before continuing: "I believe that you can make me happy—but I want to be able to do the same for you."

Hope's open mouth soon turned into a smile. She liked him back! He was going to make her love him. He found it hard to contain his happiness.

"Light…" was all he could get out before being interrupted.

"It's Claire," she had said, with a smile.

"Claire, you're my everything…And I hope to be yours, one day."

"I believe you," she told him. She found it hard to not smile in front of him. He had that effect on her, especially now.

Hope immediately moved closer to her. She had been anticipating a kiss from him—her _first_ kiss ever. For the first time in forever, she felt her cheeks beginning to feel warm. She slowly closed her eyes, expecting to feel his lips upon hers…When she felt a poke on her forehead.

"Huh..?" she thought, before opening her eyes. She was greeted by Hope, who was smiling triumphantly. His grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Jerk," she said, before closing her eyes, and in an instant, pulled his face down to hers. Her lips met his. Hope was caught off guard. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. Her lips were as soft and velvety as they were in his dreams. He was glad. The kiss was warm, tender, passionate, and a sign of _very_ good things to come.

As they held each other, lips still tightly locked onto each other, Hope and Lightning could have _sworn_ they both heard giggling from Vanille, and whooping from Fang. They both pulled away, their lips having only an inch or two between them, recreating their circumstances prior to their dance together ended. They looked longingly into each other's eyes, and refused to let go. Smiles and glee were the only things to be found in that room.

Hope's last thought before going in for another kiss was that this trip wasn't bittersweet after all. In fact, things had worked out perfectly. It was much closer to sweet, instead.

**-THE END**

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A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this. I am fairly happy with this chapter/ending. And as you can see, I ended it happily. I may use my alternate sad ending for a different fic/alternate story or something. But happily is how I wanted it to end. Again, the song lyrics are from **"So Close" **by **Jon McLaughlin**. Good stuff. Go listen to it.

Decided to NOT have Light say she loves Hope right off the bat. Personally thought that would've been out of character. I've tried desperately to keep everyone as original and realistic as possible. I think her saying she's on the way to being able to say she loves him is better, especially since this is all new to her.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who read/added this or me to their favorites/reviewed/etc. I hope to see you guys again soon with another fic, most likely shorter than this one.

As always, read, review, and try your hand at your own Light/Hope fic.

-Daedulas


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